(NAPSA)—Thanksto new personal digital assistants (PDAs), getting organized has never been easier. Although once viewed as niche tools for mobile professionals, PDAsarerapidly gaining popular- ity in the mainstream consumer marketplace. A recent study by market research firm NPD Intelect points to this growth in consumeracceptance, finding that 3.5 million handheld computers were sold in 2000, more than two-and- a-half times the 1999 figure of 1.3 million. How did this change come about? Consumersare discovering that PDAs allow them to organize their days and access information in ways that better fit their lives—personal as well as professional. In addition, the prices of these PDAs have been dropping, making it more affordable for everyday consumers to own the newest PDAs. The HP Jornada 525 Color Pocket PC is an affordable option that keeps your calendar and contacts conveniently updated and much more. It essentially lets users carry one device packed with familiar Microsoft Word and Excel applications, email, digital music, a bookshelf of books, photo albums, video games, a daily planner and even with an add-on wireless modem,the Internet—all in a device that fits in your pocket. How can a PDAease your day? Here’s “a day in the life” of a Pocket PC and its owner: 6:30 am: Wake up to your Pocket PC’s alarm and check the weather and local traffic on the Thanksto new technology, you can now hold books,digital music, an organizer, a phone book, an alarm clock and morein a single devicethatfits in your pocket. Internet with your PDA and its wireless modem. With traffic backed up for miles, use your PDA to check local train schedules. 8:00 am: While on the train, read the newspaper (online) and catch up on e-mails synchronized yesterday from your PC to your Pocket PC. 9:00 am: Reviewing your daily appointments, confirm meeting times and locations with your Pocket PC’s calendar. Open up your “To Do”list and makenote of the overdue items automatically marked in red. 12:00 pm: Meet an out-of-town friend for lunch and take fun snapshots of the two of you with your Pocket PC’s digital camera accessory. Also share digital photos of your last vacation stored on your PDA. 2:00 pm: At your meeting, con- nect your portable keyboard to your Pocket PC for easy notetak- ing in Microsoft Word. These notes can be transferred back to your PC once you’re back at your desk. 5:30 pm: On the train home, unwind andlisten to your favorite digital music downloaded onto your Pocket PC while shopping online with the wireless modem or playing video games. 6:00 pm: While on your train commute home, you meet a poten- tial date and swap contact information via the infrared port on your Pocket PC and/or their Palm. 11:00 pm: Crawl into bed and breathe a sigh of relief. Picking up from last night’s reading, turn on your Pocket PC and read the ebook you purchased last week. Getting ready for tomorrow, set the alarm on your Pocket PC and drift into sleep. For more information on Pocket PCs, visit http://www.hp.com/jor nada.
